Bone hole diameter as a function of drill guide length and drilling method in rigid internal fixation.

This study examines drill guide length and drilling method to see which technique produces the most accurate hole diameter. Two hundred twenty-five holes were produced in fresh porcine mandibles and then measured with a micrometer. A long guide, a short guide, and no guide were used with a drill press, a pneumatic drill, and a manual drill. Using a 2-mm drill bit, the overall average diameter was 2.03 mm and the overall range was 1.85 mm to 2.60 mm. Statistical analysis of the data indicates the drilling method and the guide length made no difference in the hole diameter at the 95% level (P = .05).